Here Comes the Rainy Season …
Last week we got rain, not much about a quarter of an inch, but every little bit helps. With our current drought we have had so few rain storms, I admit I kinda forgot what they were like. Thursday morning as…
Rural Chicks
This past Thursday after a day spent at the farm harvesting and mowing, I changed out of my dusty dirty farm clothes put on my going out clothes and headed out for the night. I meet up with a group…
Slowing Down
The growing season at Quarter Acre Farm is starting to come to a close. Last week I harvested the end of the dried beans and this week I finished collecting all the winter squash and pumpkins from the field. The…
Desk Time
I’m starting to spend more time on the computer than in the field. At this point in the season there are less crops to harvest and maintain. I’m spending my hours working on spreadsheets; inputting sales, expenses, and recording harvest…
Pumpkins, Winter Squash, and Gourds Oh My
The weather finally feels like autumn and the pumpkins are out in full force. My farmers’ market booth has transitioned from boxes of heirloom tomatoes and tons of pints of cherry tomatoes to piles and piles of pumpkins, winter squash,…
This Year, Last Year, Next Year
Last week, during a late season heat wave I had to keep reminding myself what month it was. It was so hot outside that if I wasn’t selling pumpkins at the farmers market, I would have thought it was July.…
Living Life
The growing season is starting to slow down. The tomatoes are taking longer to ripen. The pumpkin vines are dying off and the dried bean rows are empty. There is still work to be done in the field but it…
Feelings of Fall
The mornings are chilly, the sun sets sooner, and the vineyards are changing color; it is fall. With fall comes the harvest of fall crops: pumpkins, winter squash, and gourds. But even with these feelings of fall, tomatoes have not…
Purposely Small
A few weekends ago I was at a grand opening party for a local Sonoma Valley business, T.A.T. Gallery. I ran into friends and acquaintances, enjoyed tasty food, good music, even an amazing magic show. It was lovely to get away…
Living Seed Catalog
Last week I spent some time at the National Heirloom Expo. Each year they have large, detailed displays of squash, tomatoes, peppers, and melons. All organized by varieties, its like a living seed catalog. As a farmer you spend a lot…
Colorful Beans
Last week I harvested the first of this year’s dried bean crop. I am growing four different bean varieties this year Tiger Eye, Jacob’s Cattle, Hutterite, and Calypso. Each of these varieties has a distinct colorful pattern hidden underneath their…
Win Tickets to the Heirloom Expo
We are giving away a pair of 3-day passes to The 2014 National Heirloom Exposition. You have two chances to win via Facebook or Instagram. The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Sept. 5th on my weekly radio show, Sustainable Growing, 2pm to 3pm (PST) To enter on Facebook:…